NYC Wants More "Micro-Apartments" in the Five Boroughs

A new program would help design apartments no bigger than 300-square feet.

New York City's hoping to make living in the Big Apple more attractive and affordable for small households. The city's launched a pilot program to develop innovative housing designs for one or two people.

The program, called "adAPT NYC, would allow units to be smaller than the 450-square-foot minimum allowed under current zoning laws.

City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said "this is way to insure that the city's housing meets the diverse needs of its residents."

Mayor Bloomberg said this will help attract more young talent to the city. "Young people from around the country or around the world are our future, those are the ones that are going to teach our schools, become police or firefighters, work for city government and they don't have a lot of money."

Bloomberg said Monday the shift will help accommodate the changing population. He says young professionals are waiting longer to start families and a shortage of small homes is forcing people to move into illegal subdivisions.

The city has 1 million studio and one-bedroom apartments for 1.8 million one- and two-person households.